The present invention relates to a vibratory roller. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vibratory roller that is configured for use in compacting asphalt in potholes, and that is configured to be hand-operated and to be maneuvered by a human.
Vibratory rollers are used in the construction industry, compacting sand, gravel and asphalt in the construction of roads, parking lots and driveways. There are several types of vibratory rollers. They can be divided into two general groups. The first group includes self-propelled double drum units where the operator sits on a platform operating the vibratory element as well as the forward and reverse movement, namely, the direction in which the unit is travelling. The other group is the walk-behind type where the operator walks behind the roller controlling the vibratory element as well as the forward and reverse movement of the unit. These units are in the range of several hundred to thousands of pounds in weight, and are more suitable for large road repairs rather than for small potholes. There has been a need for a smaller, easy to maneuver, and lightweight vibratory roller for small repairs and primarily for compacting asphalt in potholes.
Typically when a pothole needs to be filled, the worker will drive up to a pothole, throw down some cold or hot asphalt mix. After that the worker would drive over the hole with their truck to compact the asphalt. This is a poor practice and allows the pothole to reappear within a year due to the poor compaction. The light weight vibratory roller allows for the worker to effectively compact and patch the pothole. The roller drum provides a small surface area on the surface of the pothole, combined with a lot of force from the vibrator, which compacts the asphalt on a microscopic level. The vibratory roller is a walk behind machine which means that only one person is needed to use the unit. Previously the vibratory walk behind roller was very efficient in the forwards direction. Typically the user would compact a pothole by pushing the unit forwards over the pothole then pulling the unit backwards over the pothole. Because the previous design was only self-propelled in the forwards direction, it would put a lot of strain on the user when pulling the vibratory roller backwards. The forwards and reverse propelled vibratory unit will allow the user to patch a pothole with more efficiency while keeping the quality of the pothole patch. Why a vibratory compactor is necessary for patching potholes, as well as different pothole patching methods can be seen in the document attached labeled “VIBCO Vibrators Vibratory Roller Redesign,” under section 2.2 Soil Compaction Methods. The same document also describes the issues with the single direction vibratory roller in section 2.4.2 Existing Products. The newly design forwards and reversible vibratory roller will fix this problem.
The forwards and reversible vibratory roller that is being discussed in this written document is currently protected by U.S. Pat. No. 9,234,316, Vibratory Pothole Packer. This was invented by Theodore S. Wadensten and a company called VIBCO Vibrators. Another patent invented by Theodore S. Wadensten is U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,648, Portable roller-type compactor apparatus having a combined means for the vibrating and reversible propelling thereof. This patent is similar to the unit being designed due to the fact that they are both forwards and reversible drive vibratory rollers. The patent invented by Theodore S. Wadensten (U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,648) uses an eccentric element that is external to the roller. The invention being described in this document uses an eccentric element that is internal to the drum of the unit. Also, the eccentric element does not pivot on a pivot point to deliver a forwards and backwards motion like U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,648. Instead it uses pulleys to change the rotational direction of the internal eccentric mass.
When a unit is being pulled backwards, the drum is still rotating forwards. This makes the process very tiring for the user, and it also tears up the asphalt due to the constant forwards rotation of the drum. When the unit is pulled backwards, the unit wants to jump around which creates divots and bumps in the asphalt. These divots and bumps, if not fixed, will allow water to seep through the asphalt creating more potholes. For example, FIG. 5 depicts how the drum of a prior art machine tears up the asphalt behind it when pulled backwards over a pothole.
In view of the above, there is a need for an improved pothole packer that is well-suited for smaller jobs and is easier to operate while cause less damage to the asphalt.